The drive between Jasper and Banff is amazing. It’s like someone took pinking shears to the skyline of the mountains. There’s a continuous zig-zag of peaks—compact folded mountains, one after the other, where the two colliding tectonic plates fight for territory. (Different from the Alaskan ranges which were way spread out and punctuated by way bigger, often volcanic peaks.)
We discovered , by accident, that we landed in these two National Parks (Jasper and Banff) on a 3-day Canadian weekend. The first of day in August is “Heritage Day” or Civic Day” in most Canadian provinces. It’s like trying to go camping on the 4th of July. The reservable campgrounds were all full, the hotels mostly “no vacancy” and the traffic, both car and pedestrian, was outrageous. We had to wait an hour in line for shuttle bus because you couldn’t even park at some of the most popular lakes. It detracted a little from the glory, having just come from miles of solitude and our own, practically private, vast snow covered peaks. We both recalled a quote by John Muir in our last book. Something to the effect of, ‘if you’re old, go now to Alaska before it changes; if you’re young and you go, it will ruin you for anywhere else.’ We think we’d appreciate the Canadian Rockies a little more in their off-season.
Doesn’t Peyto Lake remind you of my 🦊 Fox?
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Town of town of Banff from Rose and the Crown rooftop patio
(A hot tip for dining from Carol and Omer’s recent trip) |
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| Lake Louise |
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| Athabasca Falls |
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